Spring Clean Your Beauty Regime

A Note From Hannah

There are few things quite as enjoyable as reorganising our makeup bags and skincare routines. As the seasons change, so do our beauty needs, and warmer, brighter weather calls for lighter lotions and bases, and products that glide onto the skin, adding luminosity in the process. It’s also a good opportunity to rethink your regimen: is that type of cleanser still working for you? Is it time to try a cream formula rather than a powder? And what sort of scent will be your signature this year? Here are my tips for a successful spring makeover. The only rule? Enjoy it.

Check expiry dates (and Marie Kondo your products)

How often do you review the expiry and “use-by” dates on your beauty buys? If you’re anything like me, the answer is rarely. But it’s more important than you might think. Once you’ve opened a product, it is exposed to bacteria, which can lead to infection if it’s left for too long – liquid products tend to see the fastest bacterial growth.

Beyond the risk of infection, ingredients (including retinol, vitamin C and UV filters) also break down over time, rendering the formula useless. Look for a best-before date on the product (eg, EXP 12/2026) or a Period After Opening (PAO) symbol (such as 6M or 12M), to assess whether it’s still useable.

After that, consider whether the rest of your products are ones you actually use and like. It’s easy to accumulate formulas that don’t work for you, and they take up space – so consider this your chance to “Marie Kondo” your routine. Serums, cleansers and moisturisers that aren’t quite right for your face can make great body formulas, while unused makeup can be donated to charities like Beauty Banks.

Switch to lighter formulas

Once you’ve cleared out the old, it’s only right to welcome in the new – but exercise restraint. Instead of multi-step skincare routines, look to multi-tasking formulas that work harder or target a specific problem.

When it gets warmer, swap heavy, cocooning creams for lighter, gel-based or oil-free moisturisers. Tatcha’s The Water Cream makes for a perfect springtime hydration boost; it’s packed with antioxidants, various ferments and amino acids to improve plumpness and make skin look and feel juicy. Since most complexions are a little dull after a long winter in darker climes, an exfoliating treatment is a great way to lift dead skin cells and reveal a smooth, fresh canvas underneath. I am a huge fan of exfoliating pads, such as Elemis’s Dynamic Resurfacing Pads and Exuviance’s Gentle Daily Exfoliating Pads, both of which can be quickly swiped over the face a few times a week and aren’t too harsh.

Ensure you’ve got the basics down: a gentle cleanser, moisturiser and daily SPF (Klira’s The Dayscript is sublime) are mandatory – and from there, you can add in an active ingredient, whether that be retinol, vitamin C or azelaic acid.

Clean your makeup brushes

One task that never fails to get you feeling on top of life? Cleaning all the brushes in your kit. Jamie Genevieve, a makeup artist and the founder of beauty brand Vieve, once shared that Dr. Bronner’s Rose Organic Magic Soap was her brush cleanser of choice – and I’ve used it ever since. Simply apply a dollop into the palm of your hand (or onto a brush-cleaning mat), wet your brush and swirl it in, repeating until the water runs clean. Make sure you squeeze all the moisture out of the brush and leave it to dry in its original shape. Your skin will thank you.

Enjoy a face-forward start to spring

Rosy cheeks and luminous skin are a year-round ideal, but they work particularly well in spring. Seek out lightweight base formulas – such as tinted moisturisers, sheer foundations and CC creams – for optimal coverage and a dewy finish. Some of the best include Lisa Eldridge’s Seamless Skin Enhancing Tint and Armani’s newly formulated Luminous Silk Skin Tint Foundation.

I like to bring the warmth back into my complexion with the help of a bronzer (I adore Chanel’s Les Beiges Healthy Glow Bronzer) and a cream blush such as Westman Atelier’s Baby Cheeks Blush Stick, which is second to none, while Charlotte Tilbury’s Unreal Blush Healthy Glow Stick offers a great shade range and dewy finish.

Cream blush looks best “pushed into the skin so there is a slight asymmetry in shape,” reveals makeup artist Lisa Eldridge, adding that the product should be subtly diffused further down the cheeks than usual, as well as onto the brow bones and the bridge of the nose for natural appeal. This technique is a quick way to achieve skin that looks youthful and healthy, even if you’re not quite feeling that way.

Build a fragrance wardrobe

Out with the ouds and rich gourmand scents; spring is a time for fresh, aquatic and bucolic fragrances that evoke the great outdoors. With notes of rose, peach, neroli, musk and cardamom, Perfumer H’s Rose with Insect Eau de Parfum is both sensual and provocative – and couldn’t be more perfect for the change in season.

Meanwhile, Hermès’ new eau de toilette Un Jardin Sous La Mer is salty-fresh, evoking an imaginary underwater garden in French Polynesia via hints of tamanu nut, tiare flower and mineral notes. Chloé’s Atelier Des Fleurs Plage Du Figuier is equally transportative – a fig-infused scent that smells like holidays on the Mediterranean coast.

Ffern’s Spring 26 is also not to be missed – it captures England’s rewilding landscapes, with notes of petitgrain, broom, tuberose, valerian and elemi, and is just as delicious as it sounds.

Reset your stress levels

Most of us feel some degree of day-to-day stress, so in the spirit of refreshing your approach to beauty, consider ways in which you can alleviate anxiety. Breathwork is one of the easiest ways to tap into your parasympathetic (calm) state, so consider adding two minutes of box breathing to your morning routine: inhale for four, hold for four, exhale for four, hold for four – and repeat.

Take time to enjoy the great outdoors as studies show that those who spend more time in natural environments tend to have lower stress levels. And prioritise healthy sleep, whether that means winding down a little earlier (have a bath, dim the lights, read a book) or avoiding screens in bed. An eye mask from Slip and Verden’s Nocturne Sleep Mist will help make the process feel all the more luxurious.